What is Ops in Baseball?
Ops, or On-base plus Slugging, is an advanced baseball statistic. It was created to provide an overall measure of a player’s offensive production. It combines two of the most important stats for a hitter which are on-base percentage (OBP) and slugging percentage (SLG). It gives us a better idea of how well a hitter is able to reach base and then how well they cover the distance of the field and scoring.
Understanding On-Base Percentage (OBP)
On-base percentage (OBP) is a measure of how often a batter reaches base safely when they swing the bat. It is calculated by dividing the total number of times a player has reached base safely (base hits, walks, times hit by a pitch, etc.) by the total number of times a player has gone to the plate. This measure can help identify players who are able to get on base consistently, as well as those who consistently get out.
Understanding Slugging Percentage (SLG)
Slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of how well a batter can cover the distance of the playing field. It is calculated by dividing the total number of bases gained on hits (singles, doubles, triples, and home runs) by the total number of times the player has been up to bat. This measure indicates how well a player is able to hit for power, as well as their ability to hit for extra bases.
Importance and Benefits of OPS
OPS is a great tool for measuring a hitter’s overall offensive production. It combines the two most important batting statistics and gives us a better overall picture of how well a player is hitting. It provides information that is more useful than simply looking at batting average, as it gives us an idea of how hard a batter is hitting the ball and how well they are able to get on base. It also allows us to compare players across different positions.
Overall, OPS is an important statistic that can provide insights into a hitter’s performance. It is important to remember, however, that it is just one of many stats available to evaluate a hitter. In order to get a true picture of a hitter’s ability, it is important to look at all stats available.